I am Kevin Lao and the word that defines me the most is persistent.

Could you tell us a little bit about your story, Kevin?

I had an accident when I was 18 years old with a bicycle against a car that was leaving a parking lot. Since then, I have been in a wheelchair, which has changed my life a lot.

How has your life changed?

Well, I was an 18-year-old kid, sporty, always moving with my bike, sports… And I became a very dependent person to do absolutely everything. And little by little over the years, I have gained independence and strength to continue doing some sports and staying as active as possible.

What therapies to improve mobility have you experienced so far?

Well, since then I have been doing rehabilitation in various gyms, especially for the parts that remained active below the injury. This helps to keep these parts strong and active, in order to gain the maximum independence possible.

Have you tried other exoskeletons? Which one?

I have been trying the Ekso Bionics exoskeleton for many years. The truth is that I was trying it for many years, I think I used it for about 4 or 5 years.

Could you compare the ABLE Exo with others that you have tried?

The first thing that catches my attention when comparing it to other exoskeletons is how small it is. It looks much lighter, much more inconspicuous, and much simpler.

When did you start testing the ABLE Exo? What device improvements have you liked the most?

Well, I have been an ABLE pilot for about 3 years now, and at first, it was a bit like, yes, you could see that there was already a very good evolution when I started testing it. It looked like a very well-finished product. But now it looks much lighter, performs much better, and is better aesthetically finished. It looks way much nicer than when I tried it!

Do you think the use of exoskeletons for walking is important? Why?

For a person in a wheelchair or with any injury that prevents them from having a bipedal life (that is, standing up), I think that therapy with exoskeletons and robotics works very well. Because of standing up, but not just for standing still, but because of the fact of moving, carrying weight on the legs, so your whole body moves. Because the human body is made to be standing and walking. All of this helps the legs to carry my body weight and train my musculature.

Have you noticed any improvement or change thanks to the use of exoskeletons?

Well, the first thing that catches my attention when using the exoskeleton is when I take it off, I have much less spasticity in my legs and they are much more relaxed. And the body feels like it has worked quite a lot after some minutes of walking.

What would be the perfect exoskeleton for you?

An ideal exoskeleton would be one that I could use daily, to go out on the street. I’m not saying walking long distances, but being able to go down the street with it, going to a bar, sitting down, being able to stand up… An exoskeleton for daily life.

Three words that come to your mind when you think about ABLE?

Lightweight, versatile, and very functional.